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| Gandhi Maidan | |
|---|---|
 Gandhi Maidan | |
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| Location | Patna,India 25°36′28.77″N85°10′03.06″E / 25.6079917°N 85.1675167°E /25.6079917; 85.1675167 |
| Operated by | Patna Municipal Corporation |
| Open | Year-round |
Gandhi Maidan is a historic ground inPatna, near the banks of theGanges River, inBihar, India. TheGolghar falls to its west. During the period of 1824–1833, under British rule, it was used as a golf course and horse racing track and was calledPatna Lawns. It is spread across 60 acres of land. It has a great political significance as well.
Khairun Miya had donated this piece of land to help further the national movement and several important meetings of well-known freedom fighters were held here.
Several movements were launched on the Patna Lawns during the Indian freedom struggle, the most important being theChamparan movement and theQuit India movement of 1942. Many prominent leaders of theIndian Independence Movement, such asMahatma Gandhi,Rajendra Prasad,[1]Anugrah Narayan Sinha,Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel,Maulana Azad,Jawaharlal Nehru,Jayaprakash Narayan andSri Krishna Sinha addressed their rallies from here. It was said[who?] that a leader had not arrived until he had addressed a rally at the Patna Lawns.
JP Movement, the successful opposition movement toIndira Gandhi, was also launched from this historic ground.
Presently, this ground is used for private parties, mass prayers and trade fairs. The flag-raising ceremony on the IndianIndependence Day andRepublic Day is held here by theChief Minister andGovernor of Bihar respectively.
In the north western corner lies the Gandhi Sangrahalaya, which showcases various pictures and records ofMahatma Gandhi's presence and connections with Bihar. During 1947, it was the house of the Education Minister,Syed Mahmud. These grounds are situated nearAshok Rajpath in Moradpur and are 2.5 km from central Patna.[2]
During his Bihar visit at the time of Champaran Satyagraha, Mahatma Gandhi addressed a huge meeting at Patna Lawns. That meeting was the first time Indians were allowed to visit Patna Lawn without any restrictions. Until then, entry was restricted to Europeans and the elite (Loyalist Indians).
The historicPatnaLawn was renamedGandhi Maidan in 1948 after his assassination as a tribute. A statue of Gandhi was erected in 1990s near the southern end.
On 27 October 2013, there weresix serial bomb blasts at Gandhi Maidan just before theBJP's prime ministerial candidateNarendra Modi reached there to address a huge gathering. Eight people were killed and 66 injured in the serial blasts.[3]
On 3 October 2014 a stampede took place in Gandhi Maidan, on the occasion ofDussehra festival, in which reportedly 32 people died.[4][5]
| Ancient | |
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| Colonial | |
| Ganga River banks | |
| Religious complex | |
| Maidans/parks |
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| Infotainment complex | |
| Buildings and structures | |
| Museums | |
| Excursions | |
| Places near Patna | |
